US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth departs a press briefing on continued military operations at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, on March 19, 2026. WIN MCNAMEE / AFP
A federal judge on Friday, March 20, ruled that the Pentagon's press access overhaul, which saw accreditations from a host of prominent media outlets withdrawn, violated the Constitution.
Elements of the policy are "unlawful because they violate the First and Fifth Amendments of the United States Constitution," a judge in Washington said in response to a lawsuit brought by the New York Times.
US media, including the Times and Fox News, and a host of international news outlets such as AFP and AP, declined to sign the new policy in mid-October, resulting in the stripping of their Pentagon credentials.
Read more 'New York Times' sues Pentagon over new restrictions on media outlets
